John Jermain Budget Sails Through, New Faces on Library's Board

The John Jermain Memorial Library held a vote on Thursday.
Christine Sampson

Residents of the Sag Harbor School District overwhelmingly approved the 2018 budget for the John Jermain Memorial Library on Thursday and selected three new trustees to serve on the library board.

Ann Sutphen, the current vice president, lost her bid for another term. Voters instead chose Gloria Brown, Carol Hance, and William McCoy for three-year terms starting Jan. 1. All three are new to the board. Ms. Brown was the top vote-getter with 171 ballots cast for her, Ms. Hance had 146, and Mr. McCoy 136. Janine M. Rayano ran as well.

There were 223 "yes" votes for the nearly $2.7 million library budget, with just 27 people voting against it. The budget will increase by 3.8 percent next year, or just over $101,000. The additional cost to the average homeowner will be $10 per year. The library's budget for day-to-day operations for 2018 is nearly $1.8 million; $905,000 will go toward debt service.